Polish, Czech PMs to discuss U.S. missile shield plans next week
04/01/2008 17:48 WARSAW, January 4 (RIA Novosti) - Poland's prime minister, Donald Tusk, will visit the Czech Republic next week to discuss U.S. missile shield plans with his Czech counterpart Mirek Topolànek, the Polish government spokeswoman said Friday.
The U.S. plans to deploy a radar in the Czech Republic and 10 missile interceptors in Poland, purportedly to counter a missile threat from Iran and other "rogue" states. Russia has opposed the plans, saying the European shield would destroy the strategic balance of forces and threaten Russia's national interests.
On February 27, the Czech premier is to meet with U.S. President George Bush in Washington and discuss the possible radar deployment. Topolanek told the Hospodarske noviny newspaper that the radar deployment would be central on the talks' agenda. "We will coordinate further actions with Poland," he said.
Topolanek said Tusk will pay a visit to the U.S. in January.
According to U.S. Opinion Research Corporation, 51% of Czechs speak against the American radar deployment plans. Czech parliamentary opposition demands a referendum on the issue, but the government opposes the demands.
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